Bouillabaise de Marseille in Brittany?

Lucienne was in the village shop when I called in for our lunch time baguette.

‘I’m glad you are here’, I say, ‘I need your advice.’

‘Ah bon.’ She replies.

‘My parents arrive next week for Christmas and my father likes fish soup / fish stew so I am going to make Bouillabaisse de Marseille  but I don’t quite know how to serve it. Do you serve the fish soup in a bowl and the fish separately, the receipe says serve the fish separately but the photo has the fish in the soup?’

Lucienne looks quite horrified. Oh no, another French gaffe… EVERYONE probably knows how to serve Bouillabaisse de Marseille.

‘Nicole, you can’t make Bouillabaisse de Marseille here.’

‘Why not?’ I ask.

‘Because we live in Brittany, this is a dish made in the South.’

‘I know, but I can try.”

‘Impossible, you cannot buy rascasse here.’

‘Yes, but the receipe says 2kg of an assortment of fish, I’m sure I can get the other 7 types of fish.’ I stammer, now feeling very unsure about the whole thing.

Lucienne shook her head, ‘Non, non Nicole, it won’t do. You must cook traditional Breton receipes using local ingredients, the result will be far superior. How about Pot-au-feu?’

‘So you don’t know how to serve Bouillabaise de Marseille.’ I persist.

‘Oh, she tuts… If you must cook this dish, which won’t be anything like the real thing, you must stain the fish and put it on a warm plate, give everyone a bowl of the soup and let everyone help themselves to the fish which they place in the soup. You must serve this with bread and rouille.’

‘Merci Lucienne.’